The Eye of the Tiger
by PwnedByPineapple
Summary: Alphonse has always brought home stray cats, but never before ones liable of giving Edward a heart attack before he's thirty. The tale of how Alphonse accidentally becomes a legendary Xingese figure and solves a cultural dilemma. Post-manga. AlMei.
1. Part One

**i.**

There was something highly energizing about watching the newest Emperor of Xing at work. Ling Yao was not like Emperors of the recent past. He was involved, full of life and passion and youthful determination. He moved rather like a whirlwind and did not sit around and depend on advisors; in fact, he often drove them to anxiety with his bold plans and what they deemed to be western ideals.

Ling was gifted with vision and knew that the construction of the trade road between Xing and Amestris was only the beginning. Xing had to be unified, had to catch up to the rest of the world lest it fall behind and become vulnerable. It wouldn't be easy; his plan for the gradual unification of Xing's fifty clans had already met with stubborn resistance, and it was hard work to win over the leaders of each clan. But Ling was nothing if not determined, as were the youthful nobles and ordinary citizens who were very taken with him and his ideals. He'd acquired quite a following in the past few years; the generation just coming into power and into their own rights were, like any new generation, eager for change of some sort, a way of defying generations past for the sole purpose of establishing their own mark on the world. It was something he'd taken advantage of at once, and it was proving to be a great help.

However, the matter he discussed with his considerably old advisors on one fine summer morning was one that was fairly trivial in comparison to his greater plan. Nevertheless, he was cheerfully adamant about having his way.

"But, my lord, you must welcome him in the traditional way!"

"No, thank you," Ling said pleasantly. "Edward is a good friend. I'm not going to surround him with unnecessary pageantry."

"But..."

"No more 'buts', Hai. You either, Zhou."

Hai and Zhou gave up in despair, shaking their heads at their young Emperor who rarely ever gave ground. With a grin, Ling turned away from them, intent on continuing preparations for Ed's arrival, and proceeded to jump violently. Mei stood behind him, arms folded.

"Stop _doing_ that, Mei!" Ling yelped. He clutched at his heart and heaved a sigh, then cast a rueful glance back at his advisors. "Why didn't you warn me she was there?"

They both looked away innocently. "Well, my lord," Zhou said, "perhaps we would have remembered to had you been a little more accommodating."

"Oh, you two are so difficult," Ling sighed, dramatically shaking his head. "But I'm not going to budge."

Mei looked cheerful at her victory; she was ahead of him now and pulling steadily away. She smiled at Ling in a way that told him she was informing him of something, not asking his permission, and said, "I'm taking Alphonse, Zampano, and Jerso out for a bit of study today."

"But Ed's coming!"

"At noon. We'll only be out in the morning." Mei lost her smile, looking a little concerned. "Something is bothering Alphonse. He's not acting like himself, and I can't figure out if he's just impatient for Ed to arrive or something else. But I thought it would do him some good to get out of the palace."

Ling nodded in sudden understanding but said nothing. He knew what was bothering Alphonse; in fact, they'd talked about it only yesterday. Having Edward and Alphonse as brothers-in-law was something Ling was looking forward to, but that possibility looked like it would only come about farther down the road. Mei was a princess of Xing, close to the Emperor himself, and right now, it didn't matter how famous the westerner who wanted to marry her was. "I'm sorry, Al," Ling had told Alphonse, "but the people are already going through some heavy cultural shocks right now. Now isn't the best time to introduce another." And he'd felt like the biggest bully when Alphonse had put on a brave face and told him it was all right, that he'd thought as much but wanted to be certain.

"Be sure to be back before noon, then," was all Ling said to Mei as these thoughts ran through his mind.

Mei smiled again, thanked him, and promised that they would, before running out of the council room.

Ling watched her go, so full of energy and life. To his mind, she and Alphonse made the perfect match, and just because now wasn't the wisest time for them to marry didn't mean that it would never be. Ling was always scheming, always looking for an opportunity. They _would_ marry if he had anything to say about it, particularly since, some time ago, Mei had bluntly informed him that she would accept no one else. Ling was inclined to agree.

"Hai," he said mournfully. "Zhou. Why must I have so much to think about?"

"Perhaps because you don't listen to us," Hai said reasonably.

"No," Ling said dismissively, shaking his head. "That can't be it."

His advisors sighed in unison, well-used to their lord's quirks by now.

**ii.**

Edward Elric was ashamed to say that this was his first visit to Xing.

He'd been promising to come for years, but that had been easier said than done. What with his journey to the west, then afterward the birth of his first child, not to mention the great social changes taking place in Amestris, his life had taken so many turns that he'd found it impossible to arrange a trip. But things had momentarily slowed, and he'd jumped on this chance.

His arrival had garnered curious reactions, too. His name had gained considerable fame even here, and his appearance didn't help matters. Ed's knowledge of Xingese was rudimentary, but Dao had translated the whispers that followed him.

"Your golden hair and eyes," Dao had explained. "Such things are a rarity here and are attributed to legends. It was the same for your brother as well."

Edward had met Dao Yi at the very beginning of his journey. The Xingese man was tall and serious and usually worked on the new trade route as a translator for Amestrian traders. However, he'd been appointed as Ed's personal translator and honorary bodyguard, and he'd proven to be a good traveling companion, if a mostly silent and formal one.

The journey to Xing itself had been hot and boring, but the trip through the country to the imperial palace had been as fascinating as Edward could have hoped. The locals showed as much interest in him as he did in them, and with Dao's help, he'd had many an informative conversation. Because Ed was so inclined to stop and talk with the locals or to sightsee, they were rather delayed in their arrival at the palace, and Dao was starting to grow slightly impatient with Ed's constant stopping.

"If you're quite done," the man said dryly, when they'd finally arrived at the palace itself, and Ed had halted simply to stare at it with eager eyes.

Edward roused himself from his observation. "Sorry," he said, shaking himself but hardly able to tear his eyes away from the magnificent structure. It was huge and sprawling, much different from the more uniform buildings of Amestris, and it thrilled him. "I've never seen buildings like this before! Your people have amazing architecture."

"And you will have plenty of time to study it during your stay," Dao said pointedly. "We are keeping his Majesty waiting."

It was well over an hour past noon when they set foot in the palace's open courtyard, and Ed, who'd expected a more formal greeting, grinned as Ling burst out from one of the courtyard's adjacent doors. "It's about time!" the Emperor of Xing and Ed's best friend said. Two harried-looking advisors trailed behind him and looked utterly resigned as Ling threw his arms around Ed in a tight hug. "I thought I'd be old by the time you showed up!"

Edward laughed for the simple pleasure of finally being able to see his friend after years. Letters just weren't enough. "Sorry!" he said, aware of the fact that he kept apologizing for his easily distracted mind. Really, who wouldn't be fascinated by such an alien place? "This country is really distracting."

As Ling pulled away, Dao gave him an elegant bow. "It seemed that every few miles he would stop to talk to someone or to sketch a sight," the translator said, looking faintly amused. "I did not know that your Majesty had such respectable friends as scholars."

Ling made a noise of disbelief. "Ed? Respectable? Clearly you didn't spend enough time traveling with him."

"What I did spend was quite enough. He can be most difficult."

"You guys are hilarious," Edward said sardonically. "I'm laughing, look." He glanced around the courtyard and found that, outside of himself, Dao, Ling's small entourage, and a few customary guards, it was disappointingly empty. "Where is everyone?"

"Late," Ling sighed. "As usual. Alphonse and Mei and the chimeras were supposed to be back from training in time for your arrival." He frowned and beckoned to one of his advisors, speaking in Xingese. Ed had difficulty following it, but knew enough to understand that Ling was sending out some people to search for those absent. "Of course, they probably just let the time get away from them," Ling said briskly, switching back to Amestrian. "I've lost count of the number of times they've come in late."

Edward had been looking forward to seeing his brother, as it had been well over a year since Alphonse had traveled back to Xing. He shook his head and smiled to himself; it would be just like Al to get caught up in studying and training. He was becoming quite proficient at alkahestry, and Ed had seen how much that excited him. "What about Lan Fan?" Edward asked. The absence of Ling's usual bodyguard was the most notable.

"She's busy," Ling said mysteriously and changed the subject. "Do we have a lot to catch up on! Dao, thank you for your services. You never fail me."

Dao bowed once again. "It was my pleasure." He nodded to Edward next and extended his hand. "As it was a pleasure to travel with you, Mr. Elric."

Edward shook his hand. "Thank you. For putting up with me, too." He smiled, and Dao returned it - a rare thing.

"I will see to it that the horses are unloaded and your things are sent to your rooms," the man said and stepped back. "I'm sure you and his Majesty are eager to talk."

They thanked him once again, and Ling led the way out of the courtyard, not into the palace, but around it; his advisors did not follow him, for once. "You'll get a tour later," Ling said to Edward. "The best place to talk would be the gardens. They're very magnificent," he said, a little smugly. "And quiet."

Ed nodded but did not answer, mostly because he was busy staring at everything, drinking it in.

Ling laughed. "I see Dao wasn't lying. You can study everything later! I want to hear how it's been! How's Winry?"

Edward was sufficiently distracted by this question, and he smiled a glowing smile. It was one of his main reasons for coming, actually, to deliver the news in person and while it was still a long time in coming. "She's doing just fine, considering that she's pregnant," he said.

This took a moment to register, then Ling turned to Edward with wide eyes. "Another one?" He grinned excitedly. "Congratulations! You two must be so happy!"

Edward nodded, unable to stop smiling as he thought about it.

"And how's Matthew taking the news?" Ling asked.

Ed laughed. His young son was a little confused at the prospect, but no less determined to be the best older brother. "He won't stop asking whether he's going to have a little sister or brother," Ed answered. "We'll just have to see."

They reached the gardens, which were truly amazing in both design and sheer beauty. Of course, this served to further distract Edward, who would not be satisfied until he'd been given the chance to explore them a little. By the time he was done, servants had already brought out refreshments and arranged a place to sit on the grass.

When they were properly seated and relaxing, Edward held up a hand to stall any of Ling's further questions. "Hold on," he said. "I want to know what's going on here. I'm your guest, after all, and you haven't told me enough in your letters. How's progress going?"

He knew of Ling's plan for unification and also knew how difficult it was to get into motion. Ling took a sip of Xingese tea, which he'd called Dragon Well, and turned thoughtful. "It's going as well as can be expected," he said. "The Zei clan has been particularly troublesome lately, and one of their leaders is the most stubborn man I've ever had the misfortune to meet..."

**iii.**

Alphonse Elric had been thinking about Important Things lately.

Namely, marriage, and how best to approach this increasingly difficult dilemma. Talking it over with Ling had done little to ease the situation; it had only confirmed what Alphonse had suspected. He had to wait a little longer, and that was what worried him. Mei hadn't brought anything up, but he knew she was tired of waiting, and Al didn't want to have to draw it out any longer. And then there was the asking itself. Did he wait to ask until some solution or better time was worked out? Or did he ask now, before some Xingese noble tried? The latter possibility made him panic slightly. What would happen if someone else asked?

These things were all on his mind and thoroughly distracting him as he dug around for herbs beneath one of Xing's _xiàng mù_ trees... that is, until he heard Mei gasp.

"What is it?" Jerso demanded. Alphonse spun around to find Mei looking up at a gap through the thick canopy, her face full of dismay, as Xiao Mei clung to her shoulder.

"It's past noon!" she said. "Ed's probably here already!"

Alphonse's eyes widened, and he mentally berated himself for not paying attention. It was easy to lose oneself in time in Xing's thick forests, but he should have known better! He'd been looking forward to this day for weeks!

Mei sighed, shaking her head. "We're going to be late no matter what," she said, as Alphonse and the chimeras scrambled to gather their supplies. "We might as well take our time."

They'd been studying different types of medicine recently and how it affected the human body - an important step in their research into regaining the chimeras' normal bodies, as it helped them to better understand how the body worked. The research was slow going at times, and Alphonse wanted nothing more than to help his friends get their bodies back, but the four of them had taken great enjoyment in such outdoor studies.

Alphonse retrieved one of his bags and carefully placed the herbs he'd managed to gather into it. "Al!" he heard Zampano call. "What's taking so long?"

"Coming!" he called back. "I have to be careful with-"

He stopped dead, froze completely. He'd lifted his head for a brief moment and now saw two glowing blue eyes peering at him through the foliage in front of him. Alphonse found it hard to breathe, caught between wonder and fear, as a massive head emerged ever so slowly from the brush.

It was a tiger. He'd seen them in paintings and tapestries in the imperial palace, and he knew they were considered very great animals. But right now, as the tiger continued to move forward and gaze directly at him, all that was on his mind was self-preservation. He held very still, but was ready at any moment to bring his hands together to defend himself.

Something was off about this tiger, though. It was not the normal orange color; it was completely white, though still dark-striped, and it didn't look the least bit hungry or threatening as it gazed at Alphonse. In fact, it seemed... interested. Curious. But that was insane.

"Shit!" he heard one of the chimeras mutter, then a rumble as they both transformed. "Don't move, Alphonse!" Jerso hissed. "Don't startle it!"

However, it was Mei's voice that brought the possible ensuing fight to a halt. "Don't hurt it!" she said. Though Alphonse could not see her face, didn't dare take his eyes from the tiger's movements, he heard wonder and reverence in her voice. "That's... that's a white tiger! They are sacred!"

"It won't be so sacred it if _eats _him," Jerso growled. "What do we do?"

Alphonse didn't hear a response to Jerso's question, mostly because the tiger chose that moment to emerge completely from the brush. It was barely a few feet from Alphonse now, watching him steadily, and Alphonse wasn't sure if he could defend in time should the creature choose to pounce. But it didn't seem to want to. He was almost convinced of the curious look in its eyes, as crazy as it seemed. It moved a little closer, and he held his breath, hardly daring to even blink.

The tiger was so close that he could easily reach out and touch it. And to his astonishment, he found himself doing just that.

"What are you _doing_?" he heard Zampano whisper furiously.

Alphonse's hand was trembling, but he couldn't look away from those blue eyes. He reached forward ever so slowly, brought his hand up within an inch of the tiger's head... and to his utmost surprise, it moved forward and rubbed its head affectionately against his palm.

The shocked silence that followed this would have been comical in a less tense situation. "... um, what?" Alphonse said, slowly glancing back at Mei and the chimeras with a helpless look on his face.

They looked just as nonplussed, although Mei's eyes had grown huge and shocked, and Xiao Mei was hissing quietly at the tiger, obviously not happy with this animal intruder. Mei seemed more surprised than the rest of them, her mouth hanging slightly open. "Oh, my..." she said quietly. "Alphonse, I... this is _amazing_." Her expression was slowly changing to one of reverence. "You... you have to test something," she said. "Walk back to us."

"But..." Alphonse looked down at the tiger, who seemed pleased. Its eyes were closed, and it hadn't stop its nuzzling. "What if it gets angry?"

"I'm almost positive it won't," Mei breathed.

"_Almost _positive?"

"Ninety percent."

"And what about the other ten percent?"

"Al, just trust me!"

Well... he _did_ want to marry her. Alphonse took a deep breath and slowly rose from his crouch. The tiger didn't get angry; it only curled around his legs, insistent on staying close to him. He took several hesitant steps, turning around, and the tiger followed him. It didn't stop following him even when they reached the others, although its hackles started to raise when it smelled the chimeras and Xiao Mei. It curled possessively around Alphonse, much to his shock, as Xiao Mei uttered a little growl.

"Guys, change back," Mei told the chimeras. "Xiao Mei, be nice."

The chimeras didn't question and were soon back to their human forms. "That is _something_," Zampano said, looking amazed. "It likes you!"

"Are you sure it's not just marking its next meal?" Alphonse asked nervously.

Mei was starting to smile. Her eyes were shining, and she seemed inordinately pleased about something. "Definitely not," she said. "This is incredible, Alphonse! I can't believe this would ever happen in my time! And to you!" She looked like she wanted to kiss him right then and there, although Alphonse dearly hoped she wouldn't; he wasn't sure he could take much more excitement.

"What do you mean, Mei?" Jerso asked curiously.

"The White Tiger!" she said excitedly. "It's an ancient legend dating back to Xing's beginnings. It's why they are sacred animals. Out of all of Xing's creatures, the white tiger is the most intelligent and renowned." When Xiao Mei hissed indignantly at this, Mei smiled and stroked her head. "Except for you, of course."

Alphonse looked down and found the tiger gazing up at him expectantly. Hesitantly, Al lowered his hand and patted its head. It seemed pleased, and if he hadn't known any better, he would have said it was _purring_. "What's the legend?" he asked, unable to take his eyes away from the magnificent creature next to him.

Mei looked thrilled to relate the story. "When Xing was a very new country," she began, "it was just a collection of tribes that warred with each other. It had very little potential with all the fighting going on, but that all changed when Len Rei, a scholar and a warrior, found an injured white tiger in the wilderness. Despite its ferocity, he nursed it back to health, and it quickly became his closest companion. It was the largest white tiger in our history, and it was the strongest of its kind. With it by his side, Len soon became a master of the wild. It was said that he could command the animals and the forests. Many of the tribes feared him for this, but he didn't want them to fear. He wanted to unite the tribes under one name and make Xing into a strong country. So he did. With his tiger companion, called Sun Rei, he united all of Xing, both humans and land. The tribes came to revere him and named him Emperor Len Rei. It was under him that our present system of government came about." Mei was beaming now. "And because of Sun Rei's closeness to him, the race of white tigers became allies of our own race. They are a rare breed, but it is said that they appear at times of great change to befriend a worthy human."

By the time she finished, Zampano and Jerso's eyes were bulging, and Alphonse was speechless. "You mean," he spluttered, "wait... what do you mean? I'm not... Ling's Emperor, not me!"

Mei laughed. "Not all white tiger companions have been Emperors or even Xingese! The Philosopher of the West befriended one named Shan. One of Xing's greatest scholars and inventors also befriended a white tiger about two hundred years ago, and he was a common man to begin with."

Alphonse once again looked down at the tiger, who leaned against him, content to merely rest there. His mind was spinning. Was it just a legend or was it truth? Was this just a fluke, a creature that had taken a liking to him against all the rules of nature, or was it something more? He had no clue. "I... what do you think, Mei?" he asked desperately.

"I think you're going to do great things for Xing, Alphonse!" Mei said happily. "For the world, even!" It was clear that she believed it wholeheartedly.

Alphonse looked at the chimeras, who shrugged in unison. "It'd be one explanation for why a man-eater is suddenly not eating man," Jerso said reasonably, while Zampano nodded.

"We've seen stranger," Zampano reminded them.

It didn't make any sense, but then again, what in Al's life actually had? After all, he'd spent several years of that life as a walking suit of armor. "Then..." he said, thinking hard, "what do we do?"

"We bring it to the palace, of course!" Mei said, much to Alphonse's alarm. "This is huge! Ling is going to be happy, too. It's a clear sign that his reign will be historic."

"Bring it to the palace?" Alphonse echoed, wide-eyed. "Is that safe?"

"He... or she... will listen to you," Mei said. "You don't need to be worried. Now..." She crouched down and brought herself to eye level with the tiger. "Are you a male or a female, hmm?"

"Female," Alphonse said automatically, before he even thought about it. Everyone looked at him, and he ducked his head, sheepish. "I, um... I can tell," he said, though he hadn't even checked. "She's a girl."

Mei's face grew even brighter. "You see? She's definitely chosen you!"

As if in response to this, the tiger nuzzled Alphonse's leg once more, purring delightedly. He looked down with wide eyes and hesitantly stroked her beautiful, thick fur. There really was something amazing about this, now that the shock was wearing off. What if what Mei said was true? Why him?

Well, there was one absolute certainty about all of this... Edward was _not_ going to be happy about this particular stray cat.

* * *

><p><em><strong>end part one.<strong>  
><em>

**Notes |** I really need to stop assigning temporary titles to things. They tend to get stuck.

Has two parts. Takes place several years after the manga ends, long enough for several changes and big events to have taken place. As such, I had to create a lot of my own canon for this, some it necessary and some of it purely for fun. If it resembles any other post-manga canon that another fanfiction author might have created, it's completely unintentional. I've avoided reading such stories for the purpose of creating my own, first.


	2. Part Two

**i.**

Edward and Ling were thoroughly engaged in conversation and had been for quite some time when Lan Fan finally showed up.

"I reckon Mustang's going to make a bid for Fuhrer soon, what with Grumman retiring," Edward was saying. "He'll make it, too. The country's hyped up about the vote, and he's a favorite with the younger crowd and the Ishvalans. And with your support and mine... bastard's got it easy." Ed snorted in disdain, unimpressed.

Ling was grinning. "I'm sure he was betting on it," he said. "Amestris's first democratic vote, huh? This will be historic."

"You should see the atmosphere there," Edward agreed, recalling how it had been before he'd left for Xing. The newspapers and radios were buzzing with excitement, and quite often he'd found himself surrounded by reporters and people all wanting to know his opinion. "It's hard enough trying to keep things quiet at home for the little one and Winry!"

Ling smiled, but whatever he was about to say was interrupted by the sudden arrival of none other than Lan Fan herself. She looked slightly flushed but mightily pleased, and she carried a long object wrapped in decorous cloth. She bowed as she arrived in the center garden. "My lord, it is finished," she said, her voice low with excitement.

Ling's smile became a full-fledged grin. "Excellent," he said. "Ed, we have a gift for you. We meant to have it completed before you arrived, but the finishing touches took a little longer than we thought."

Edward was surprised. "You didn't have to-" he began, but Lan Fan interrupted him by pulling aside the cloth with a flourish.

In her hands was a gorgeously crafted sheath. It was about the length of a short sword, colored deep black, and it was decorated with many red Xingese characters and the carving of a golden dragon. The hilt that protruded from it was of similar make and design, though a little more practical for use. It had a gleaming ruby in its pommel. Then Lan Fan pulled the sword out, and Edward saw that the blade itself was luminous silver in color, curved ever so slightly but marvelously balanced. The whole thing was obviously very newly made and seemed to shine in the sunlight.

Edward's breath caught in his throat as Lan Fan presented both sheath and sword to him with a smile. "A mark of our friendship," she said. "You are forever a friend to Xing, and now you have a symbol of that."

"Since you don't have your alchemy or your automail arm anymore," Ling added, "we figured you'd be needing a proper weapon... you know, just in case."

Edward took the weapon and its sheath almost reverently and found himself quite unable to say anything for a moment. "Thank you," he murmured finally and bowed his head. "This means more than you can imagine. I never expected to be given such an honor."

"Lan Fan made it herself," Ling said with undisguised pride. "In addition to being excellent fighters, her family are renowned weaponsmiths."

Edward turned a wide-eyed glanced to Lan Fan, who smiled and merely brushed it aside. "This is a little different from an automail blade or even a regular sword," she said. "I may need to teach you how to use it."

"Lessons, too?" Edward asked, quite humbled. "Now I feel inadequate. I didn't even bring anything."

"Your presence here is more than enough," Ling said. "It's been too quiet without your loudmouthed, obnoxious ways. I have an idea!" he added quickly, before Edward could deliver a retort. "Why not have a lesson now? It'll pass the time until those slow pokes finally decide to show up."

"Um... sure," Edward said, startled. "If you don't mind," he added to Lan Fan.

She shook her head. "It will be an honor to teach you."

**ii.**

Lan Fan had been right - the new sword was different from what Edward was used to. However, the differences were not all that much, and he quickly caught on, finding a comfortable rhythm soon enough. Lan Fan seemed delighted to have so talented a pupil, and they went through the basics very quickly. She was even considering moving on to some more advanced techniques when the news arrived.

Ling, Zhou, and a couple of off-duty soldiers were the audience, and Ling and his advisor alternated between watching Ed and Lan Fan spar and discussing other matters in low tones. It was during a brief break that everyone heard footsteps, and one of the advisors who'd been following Ling earlier ran into the training area, out of breath. He started speaking in rapid Xingese, flailing about. Ling seemed to grow confused, but nodded, and the advisor ran back the way he had come.

"I heard Al's name in there, and I think I heard the word for 'calamitous'," Edward said, sheathing his sword and hearing a satisfying ring as he did. "_Please _tell me that my brother did not cause any disasters."

"No, that was the word for 'enormous'," Ling said. "Hai is of the opinion that something quite huge is approaching the palace that may or may not spell great fortune for us all, and apparently your brother is involved. Shall we investigate?"

What on earth had Alphonse gotten involved in? Edward nodded in curious albeit slightly apprehensive anticipation, and he, Lan Fan, Zhou, and the inquisitive soldiers followed Ling outside of the barracks and through the inner palace, traversing the path they'd taken from the garden but changing directions halfway in order to emerge into the main courtyard once more. As they neared the front of the palace, Edward thought he heard cheering and shouts. Something had stirred the village that lay outside the imperial palace, and from the sounds of it and from Hai's earlier distress, it was indeed something enormous.

When they reached the main courtyard, several guards ran up to Ling. They weren't talking quite as fast as Hai had been, and Edward was able to follow their conversation for the most part. Apparently, they had been sent by Hai to search for Al and the others and had met the missing group halfway... with one extra member.

"I didn't catch who it was," Edward said, frowning at the stunned expressions on the Xingese faces. "Who's with them?"

"I... don't know," Ling said, astonished. "That can't be right."

Edward didn't get a chance to inquire further, because at that moment the missing group entered through the main gates, and his question was promptly answered.

He became absolutely speechless, gawking as the group approached. There was nothing quite like seeing one's brother for the first time in over a year, when said brother was accompanied by a massive white tiger. It walked with its body pressed to Al's legs, and Alphonse's hand rested uncertainly on its head. Ed's first instinct was to attack out of sheer alarm, but it was apparent that the tiger had no intent to hurt anyone. In fact, it seemed rather attached to Alphonse, as crazy as that sounded.

"Hey, Ed," Alphonse said rather sheepishly, as he, the tiger, Mei, Zampano, and Jerso came to a halt before the dumbfounded spectators. "Um... long time no see?"

"Al... you," Ed spluttered, completely at a loss for words. "A tiger... _what_?"

Alphonse sighed. "It's a long story."

"Obviously!" Edward finally found his voice. "You have _got_ to stop bringing home stray cats, Al!"

This did the trick in easing the shocked silence, and everyone started talking at once. Alphonse laughed, and Ed pulled him into a tight hug. Damn, it felt good to see him, even if he _was_ in questionable company. Ed heard the tiger growl and pulled away to glare at the giant cat. "Shut it," he said. "He was my brother first."

Al looked rather amazed. "You're taking this better than I thought!"

"Yeah, well, I'm tired, and honestly... this does not surprise me. At all. Not after you brought home that massively fat tabby that Matthew refuses to let me get rid of." Edward grinned and clapped his brother on the shoulder. "You're looking well, Al!"

"You too! Is that a sword?"

Meanwhile, Mei had been chattering to Ling in Xingese, relating the story in a relatively paraphrased form. A huge grin slowly but surely made itself known on the scheming Emperor's face. "This is definitely a good day," he said and beamed at Alphonse and the tiger. "We need to have a proper discussion about this. Hmm..." He looked at the tiger, still curled around Alphonse. "You think it'll be okay indoors?"

"She," Alphonse said firmly. "It's a female. And she'll be fine, I think."

The tiger's tail merely twitched back and forth as she observed them all and yawned.

**iii.**

They were all seated in one of the palace's receiving rooms, usually set aside for the entertainment of whatever nobles happened to be visiting. Alphonse was at their center, and the tiger had situated herself halfway across his lap, despite his protests. Ling, Edward, Mei, Zampano, Jerso, and Lan Fan were present, as well as Hai, Zhou, and Dao. Dao had been drawn by the commotion and had offered to translate for Hai and Zhou, as everyone else agreed to speak Amestrian for Edward's sake.

When Al, Mei, and the chimeras had finished relating the entire story, there was a contemplative silence, and all eyes were on Ling, who was beginning to look deliriously happy. He took his time to speak, and when he did, his tone matched his expression.

"Alphonse," he said. "Have I ever mentioned how thrilled I am that you live here?"

"You're welcome," said Alphonse.

Ling nodded, beaming. "My entire plan for stronger unification will be more advanced by this than by any efforts I could have made over a year, possibly two. That creature is the sign of change, and she came at the perfect time. You have no idea how much credit this lends me. Also..." here he smiled even wider, "Mei, Alphonse... whenever you want to get married, just say the word."

The reaction this brought about was amusing, to say the least. Alphonse choked on his surprise in much the same way Ed had upon seeing the tiger, and Mei's shocked face turned bright red. One got the feeling that they hadn't talked expressly to each other about it.

Edward sighed. "Ling, you couldn't have waited? What if Al wanted to do a fancy proposal, huh?"

"Oh," said Ling, just realizing this. "Sorry. I got excited."

There was much chuckling going around, and Jerso patted Alphonse on the back. "Way to go, big guy. Can me n' Zampano be in the wedding?"

Ling was having the best day ever. Both Edward and a blessed white tiger had arrived, and to make things even better, the look on Mei's face put Ling so far in the lead that she'd have to work doubly hard at startling him to catch up. Not to mention he'd get to have Ed and Al as proper brothers-in-law, soon! Indeed, the only thing that could make things better at this point was if he could get rid of the tradition of taking wives from each clan. Oh, yes, he thought, glancing at Lan Fan. He couldn't wait until that was abolished.

Edward was grinning. "Since Ling ruined things so nicely," he said to both Alphonse and Mei, "when _do _you want to have the wedding?"

"What makes you think we want to get married?" Alphonse and Mei demanded in perfect unison.

There was a round of laughter. "Well, there's _that_," Edward said. "Doesn't get much more obvious."

Alphonse and Mei glanced at each other, then Al sighed. "We'd have to think about it," he said and looked at Ling. "When would be a good time?"

"Give it a couple of weeks, maybe a few months," Ling said. "Enough time for nice little rumors to spread and people to start talking about you. No one will be able to question if Mei wants to marry you now."

"So... people are going to be talking about me?" Alphonse asked rather nervously.

"For years and years," Ling said with a purposefully irritating smile. "You and... hmm. What do you call her?"

Alphonse looked down at the tiger, _his _tiger, whose head lifted briefly to meet his gaze. "I hadn't thought about it," he murmured. "What do you want to be called, eh, girl?" He gently stroked the creature's head, much less hesitant now, and she purred contentedly. "Tian," Alphonse said suddenly. "Her name's Tian."

No one questioned his sudden choice, only nodded approvingly.

"Wait a sec," Ed said, deciding to be the practical one, for once. "Where are you going to keep her? And feed her? And what about when you come home to Amestris?" He became slightly agitated. It wasn't like he could be entirely benevolent about the whole situation.

Alphonse sighed. And Brother had been dealing with everything so well. "While we're here, she'll stay with me, I guess," he said, glancing at Ling, who nodded.

"I'll supply food," the Emperor said smugly. "I can do that, you know."

"And Amestris?" Ed demanded. "I don't think inspection officials are going to appreciate the transport of a live tiger into their country."

Alphonse frowned. "I guess... she'll stay here whenever I'm in Amestris," he said, rather reluctantly. It was strange how that prospect made him sad; Tian was, ultimately, just a large cat, and he was already growing attached to her, as he usually did with such animals.

"Or you could just bring her to your house in Resembool," Ling said. "It's not like you live in the actual town. No one will notice or mind."

Edward had the appropriate fatherly concern. "I'm not putting my-" He stopped dead, eyes growing wide. "Crap! I completely forgot to tell you, Al! Winry's pregnant again!"

This produced an excited reaction, as the only ones who knew were Ling and Dao. The rest of the gathered individuals either hugged Ed or shook his hand or, in Hai and Zhou's case, stiffly congratulated him. "I'm finally going to be an actual aunt," Mei was saying to anyone and everyone, looking a little misty-eyed. "Of two!" As such, things took a little while to calm down. Tian seemed excited by the frenzy and rose to her massive paws, tail twitching in anticipation. This did a lot to calm everyone down.

Talk started up once more, in all different directions, and things were decided soon enough. Edward conceded that they would work out the problem of bringing or not bringing Tian to Amestris when the time came. It was also decided that the wedding would be held next year, after Winry had given birth and was recovered enough, as well as the baby old enough, to travel to Xing. And if Roy was Fuhrer by then, he could attend as well and turn it into his first official foreign visit. All this and more was excitedly, loudly, and sometimes argumentatively discussed as the 'meeting' quickly lost any hint of formality.

The three who felt like outsiders, Hai and Zhou and Dao, merely observed, and the elderly advisors turned to the younger translator, shaking their heads. "His Majesty certainly has strange friends."

Dao was displaying a rare smile again. "These are people who have been through much together. Can you not tell?" He seemed to be very satisfied about something. "This is the generation that will carry us to the future, carry us through the change that is already happening. I predict great things will happen in this country soon, very soon."

The advisors thought about this, even long after everyone had dispersed, and came to the conclusion that the seemingly grim and silent translator was at heart a hidden optimist... but maybe, maybe, he had a point.

**iv.**

It was only with the coming of night that things quieted, but Alphonse could feel anticipation take hold of him firmly. Things had changed very quickly with two mere arrivals, one of them completely unexpected. It didn't make any sense by any law of nature or any law he knew, and yet here it was, happening.

Tian faithfully by his side, he met Mei in the palace gardens when the sunset was sending out its last flames. She greeted him gladly, kissing him for several long moments, until Tian made her displeasure known.

Mei snorted and bent down to be eye level with the she-tiger. "Obviously we're going to have to work some things out," she said bluntly. "He's mine too, and you're just going to have to accept it." On her shoulder, Xiao Mei made a little squeak of agreement. The small panda had already accepted Alphonse some time ago and was quite fond of him now.

Tian and Mei proceeded to stare each other down, and Alphonse felt incredibly self-conscious. He'd known females all his life, yet they still did not make the least bit of sense to him, particularly not when they seemed to be having some sort of argument over him. It wasn't like he'd done anything to deserve it, sheesh. But to his surprise, the tiger and the Xingese girl seemed to come to some sort of agreement. Tian growled in acquiescence, and Mei straightened with a satisfied look and a nod at the tiger.

"Now that that's done," Mei said cheerfully, before Alphonse could even ask for an explanation for his hopeless confusion, "you still haven't proposed to me, you know."

"I know," Alphonse said sadly. "And the wedding is already being planned by everyone else." Ling, in particular, had taken great enthusiasm in starting preparations _already_. Al could somewhat understand the advisors' frustrations now.

Mei sighed. "I was kind of hinting that you should propose _now_, while we're alone. Well," she amended, with a glance at Xiao Mei and Tian, "mostly."

"Oh," Alphonse said, blinking. "Oh! Heh. Sorry." So he wasn't the best at picking up on hints like that. He had trouble understanding females sometimes, remember.

To his embarrassment, Xiao Mei suddenly leapt from Mei's shoulder to Tian's back. The two made a brief, cordial acquaintance, then disappeared into parts of the garden unknown... leaving Alphonse and Mei truly alone.

Alphonse took a deep breath and tried to remember what he knew about marriage proposals. His knowledge wasn't much, really. Wasn't there a tradition that involved going down on one knee? And what the heck were Xing's traditions? It was one of the few times in his life where his own knowledge was so woefully inadequate.

He decided to go with the one sure thing he knew - the asking. Trying to ignore his irrational nerves and Mei's growing smile, he faced her fully and took another deep breath. His face was burning now, and he just hoped she couldn't see it.

"Mei Chang, will you marry me?"

He felt mortified, at first, when she broke out into giggles. "You're _so_ cute!" she said, throwing her arms around him. "Of course I will!"

Alphonse relaxed somewhat and held her close, breathing in the fragrance of her hair. It smelled like Xingese herbs, and it served to fully relax him. He smiled to himself and hugged her just a little tighter, sighing deeply.

They stayed that way for a long time.

**v.**

"You may not be the runty little pipsqueak I once knew, but you have not matured _one bit_, Edward Elric."

"Looking who's talking, squinty eyes! Now shut up, or they'll hear us!"

Unbeknownst to Al and Mei, two eavesdroppers were lurking in a pile of thick bushes not far from the couple. Edward kept trying to justify such spying to himself; after all, he was the older brother, and it was his duty to keep an eye on his younger brother, no matter the occasion. That's right, duty. It helped that Ling was there and had come willingly, no matter what excuses the Emperor of Xing tried to offer.

"Whew," Edward said, as Alphonse and Mei held each other close. "He didn't screw it up. I was a bit worried there. Al's not the most romantically inclined."

"Neither are you," Ling said with a snort. "You're _worse _than him, and you know it. You're just lucky Winry finds you endearing."

"Shut up, Ling. At least I _have_ made my move."

"You're not an Emperor! Things are complicating, being one!"

Edward snorted his disbelief, and as he began to herd Ling away as quietly as possible, he was just mature enough not to look back at the couple so enamored of each other in the sunset's last light.


End file.
